Online Library of Selected Images:
-- SHIPS of the UNITED STATES ARMY --

The U.S. Army Transport Agwileon (of 6678 gross tons)
was originally the passenger steamer Havana,
built at Philadelphia, Pa., in 1906. She subsequently served between
1917 and 1925 as the U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort
(AH-3). Reconstructed in 1927-1928, she then resumed commercial
service as SS Havana. Following a grounding in 1935 the
ship was renamed Yucatan, and after capsizing at her New
York pier in 1941 she was renamed Agwileon and returned
to service as a freighter. She was chartered by the Army in November
1942 and converted into a troopship. After one voyage to Oran
and Gibraltar in April-June 1943 she was modified for hospital
ship employment, being redesignated and renamed Shamrock
in August 1943.

Shamrock operated in the Mediterranean between September
1943 and February 1944, May and September 1944, and late 1944
and early 1945. Between April and September 1945 she underwent
major repairs and ventilation alterations for service in the Southwest
Pacific. No longer needed in the Pacific by the time she arrived
at Los Angeles in October 1945, she was decommissioned the following
month. After abortive consideration of a return to troopship duties,
in February 1946 the ship was returned to the War Shipping Administration
and placed in reserve at Suisun Bay, California. Shamrock
was sold for scrapping in February 1948.

This page features all the views we have concerning the
U.S. Army Transport Agwileon and the Army Hospital Ship
Shamrock.

For additional views related to this ship, taken prior to
her U.S. Army service, see:

Click on the small photograph to prompt
a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 103120

USAT Agwileon (U.S. Army Transport)

Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken circa April-June
1943, while the ship was in service as a U.S. Army Transport.
She became the Army Hospital Ship Shamrock in mid-1943.
Built in 1906 as the passenger liner Havana, in 1918-1924
this ship was USS Comfort.

Copied from the book "Troopships of World War II",
by Roland W. Charles.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 66KB; 740 x 430 pixels

Photo #: NH 103122

USAHS Shamrock (U.S. Army Hospital Ship)

Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken circa 1943-1945,
while the ship was in service as a U.S. Army Hospital Ship. She
had previously been the Army Transport Agwileon.
Built in 1906 as the passenger liner Havana, in 1918-1924
this ship was USS Comfort.

Copied from the book "Troopships of World War II",
by Roland W. Charles.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 75KB; 740 x 405 pixels

Photo #: NH 103128

USAHS Shamrock (U.S. Army Hospital Ship)

In port, circa 1943-1946.
This ship was the Army Transport Agwileon in 1942-1943
and, in 1918-1925, served as USS Comfort.

U.S. Maritime Commission Photograph, from the Collections
of the Naval Historical Center.